Cast-steel wheel.



No. 742,684. PATENTED 001.27, 1903. J. P. s. LAWRANGE.

CAST STEEL WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 10, 1901.

to 110mm.

l/l/ll/z IIIIIIIIIIIIII'IIIIIIII 7///////// "m Elm No. 742,684. Patented October 27, 1903.

UNITED STATESPPATENT OFFICE.

JAMES P. S. LAWRANCE, OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY, ASSIGN OR OF ONE-HALF TO THOMAS BURD ZELL, OF READING, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAST-STEEL WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 742,684, dated October 27, 1903.

Application filed April 10, 190l Serial No. 55,128. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: cool gradually. By the use of this process I Be it known that I, JAMES P. S. LAWRANCE, find that the tread and flange of the car-wheel a citizen of the United States, of the United absorb more carbon than would be desirable States Navy, have invented a new and useful for the wheel center to absorb, and there- Improvement in Cast-Steel Wheels, of which by all portions of the wheel are in the most the following is a specification. approved desired condition-that is to say, My inventionhas for its object the producthe wheel center possesses the requisite duction of a solid cast-steel wheel having a hardtility and the tread and flange their requisite ened peripheral portion, as will be hereinafhardness. IO ter fully described and claimed. 4 In said drawings, Figure 1 shows the flask 00 Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a with which this process can be carried out, flask. Fig. 2 represents a central vertical the same being circular and designated by A section of the flask with gear-wheel therein. and provided interiorly with the annular Fig. 3 represents a side elevation of an appaflange or bottom B, suitable feet 0 being proi5 ratus for rotating the wheel. Fig. 4 reprevided upon which it rests.

sents a central vertical section of a flask pro- In Fig. 2 I show a car-wheel in place Within vided with a refractory lining, such as fire the flask in the position the parts assume brick or the like. during the first step of my process, the car- The noveltyI claim for the cast-steel wheel wheel D being supported by the annular 2o embodying my invention is that the periphflange B and resting on a layer of and beeral portion is hardened as compared with the ing surrounded by carbonaceous material E, remaining portion-that is to say, the said resuch as charcoal and the like. The annular maining portion is softer or possesses greater cover F is also placed upon the flask. The ductility than the peripheral portion. To flask is then placed in a suitable furnace 25 accomplish this, the percentage of carbon in and subjected to heat, whereupon the tread the peripheral portion is increased as comand flange of the Wheel absorb the carbon. pared with the remaining portion, this per- At the conclusion of this step the wheel is recentage being greater than would be desirmoved from the flask and placed upon the able for the latter. rotatable spindle G of the apparatus shown 0 To illustrate my invention, I have selected in Fig. 3, said spindle being mounted in suitan integral cast-steel car-wheel; but it is unable bearings in the frameH and being geared derstood that other cast-steel wheels may be to a driving-shaft J. The wheel D rests upon treated thereby to harden the peripheral pora table K upon said spindle, and as the wheel tion thereof without correspondingly hardenis rotated thereby a suitable cooling fluid, a 5 ing the remaining portion. In treating castliquid or gas, is thrown in contact with the steel car-wheels only the tread and flange are flange and tread thereof to rapidly cool the hardened-that is to say, only the portions same, while the remainder of the wheel is althat receive the greatest wear and tear. lowed to cool gradually.

In carrying out my process in the produc- In said drawingsI have shownanozzle M,by 40 tion of an integral or solid cast-steel car-wheel which the cooling fluid is directed upon the embodying my invention I first increase the tread and flange;butitwill be understoodthat percentage of the carbon contained in the a plurality of these nozzles may be employed tread and flange of the Wheel by subjecting and that,further, in accordance with my procthe wheel to heat with the tread and flange ess I contemplate either the rotation of the 5 in the presence of carbon, such as charcoal wheel or of the nozzles to direct the cooling or the like. As soon as this step is completed medium evenly over the entire surface of the the car-wheel is subjected to the second step tread and flange-that is to say, there is a in the process, which consists in rapidly cool relative progressive movement between the ing the tread and flange, while the remaintread and flange and the cooling medium. 50 ing portions of the car-wheel are allowed to The flask can be made of any suitable ma- 10o terial, and when made of metal it may be desirable to line the same with refractory ma:

terial, and in Fig. 4 I have shown a flask A that is provided with a refractory lining L 5 upon the inner face of the side walls thereof and upon the upper face of the flange B. The cover N is also provided with a-refractory lining P. Thus I am enabled to further increase the percentage of the carbon absorbed by the flange and tread of the car-Wheel, since such refractory linings prevent the metallic flask from absorbing the carbon.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. Acast-steel car-Wheel having the center, flange and tread formed integral, the wheel center being formed of a relatively low carbon-steel, and the tread being formed of relatively high carbon-steel.

2. Theherein-described new article of manufacture, the same consisting of a cast-steel Wheel having the Wheel center, rim and tread formed integral, the metal of the tread being 2 5 of relatively high carbon-steel, and the metal composing the wheel center and the remaining portion of the rim being of relatively low carbon-steel.

3. The herein-described new article of manufacture, the same consisting of a cast-steel car-wheel having a wheel center and rim cast integral of relatively low carbon-steel, the

tread of said rim of relatively low carbon-steel JAMES P. S. LAWRANCE.

\Vitnesses:

HARRY COBB KENNEDY, W OANER WIEDERSHEIM. 

